Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) has been used in neurosurgical procedures to assess patient safety and minimize risk of neurologic deficit. However, its use in decompressive surgeries of Chiari Malformation Type I (CM-I) remains a topic of debate. Here we present the case of a 5 year old female who presented with acute right lower extremity monoplegia after accidental self-induced hyperflexion of the neck while playing. Imaging revealed 15 millimeters of tonsillar ectopia with cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord edema. She was taken to surgery for a suboccipital decompression with expansile duraplasty. IONM demonstrated improvement in motor evoked potentials during the decompression. Postoperatively, she had full recovery of strength and mobility.
This is a case of acute weakness after mild trauma in the setting of previously asymptomatic CM-I that showed close correlation with IONM, clinical findings, and imaging. IONM during decompressive surgery for CM-I may be useful in patients that present acutely with cervical cord edema.
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